Alan Shearer wowed by Chelsea midfield options after ‘versatile’ Reece James performance

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As he reflected on Reece James’ performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Alan Shearer was impressed by Chelsea’s current midfield options.

Chelsea were defeated 3-1 against Bayern Munich on their return to Europe’s elite competition, with Cole Palmer’s goal not being enough to inspire a result.

Enzo Maresca tweaked the team at the Allianz Arena and opted to play James in central midfield, rather than his more traditional right-back position.

While he might be considered stronger as part of the defensive unit, Shearer was a fan of what James managed to deliver from the middle of the pitch.

Alan Shearer believes Reece James is ‘very talented’

James looked to influence the game from midfield while Malo Gusto played as right-back, and while the Blues were beaten, the combination did work at times.

When speaking on The Rest is Football, Shearer agreed with his co-host, Gary Lineker, that James is a “versatile” player, reflecting on the different ways Chelsea can use him.

“He’s done that before, hasn’t he. He is [versatile], he’s a very talented player. We know at right-back and how good he is, or wing-back, and whipping those balls in as he did for England.

“But he’s a very good player. The options that they’ve got there, and particularly with some of the midfielders they’ve got at Chelsea, and playing him in midfield.”

Chelsea typically rely on a midfield pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the pitch, but Maresca opted to throw an extra body into that area with James against the Bundesliga giants.

He has found success with it in the past, most notably against PSG in the Club World Cup final, and James is providing further options for Maresca.

Reece James’ stats against Bayern Munich

James played for 68 minutes from midfield against Bayern Munich, and Chelsea fans were frustrated when he was brought off over Gusto.

Gusto didn’t have his strongest game for Chelsea, which has led to question marks over whether James will return to his usual full-back role against Manchester United.

However, James proved that he’s more than capable of performing in the middle of the pitch against top opposition if needed.